We know that an Academy Award is one piece of silverware that Cristiano Ronaldo has zero chance of getting his hands on anytime soon. One of the worst sights in world football is watching the likes of Ronaldo or Robben going down like they’re taking a tumble in a fourth-grade gymnastics class.
Don’t think that soccer players are the only bad actors out there on the sports field, as AFL and rugby players have gotten in on the action over the recent years.
Let’s dive right into some of the best contenders for this year’s awards.
Cristiano Ronaldo
The Portuguese superstar has is one of the best players on the planet in the round-ball game. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner has earned a reputation for going down a little too easily on the field.
The Real Madrid striker’s performances have made him one of the favourites to claim the Fallon d’Floor award for the best dive in football.
Lindsay Thomas
North Melbourne midfielder Lindsay Thomas earned a strong rebuke from the AFL community for this effort against the West Coast Eagles. After being struck by West Coast player Luke Shuey, the North Melbourne half-forward went down a little too easily for the umpire’s liking.
Thomas had the ability to make his opponents look superhuman with his diving efforts.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfWs4tC0fJM
Josh Dugan
Former St George Illawarra fullback Josh Dugan has never been a stranger to controversy on or off the field. The fullback’s desire has been called into question a number of times with a number of Ronaldo like dives over the years.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KoYDYR6zFaU
Chris Bosh
Chris Bosh wasn’t having one of the best nights of his career against the Chicago Bulls in 2011. In his prime Bosh was one of the best players of his generation, the All-Star linked with LeBron James to bring a championship to Miami. After a poor night that would see Miami exit the finals, Bosh failed in his attempts to win an Oscar after taking on Carlos Boozer.
Bryan Habana
In the final of the Heineken Cup, former South African winger went too far to earn his side the an advantage against Saracens. The veteran winger has helped South Africa to World Cup success in 2007 was left embarrassed by this effort in the final of one of Europe’s most prestigious club competitions. Habana took to Twitter after the game to issue an apology for his shocking effort to win a penalty.
Fabio Grosso
The 2006 World Cup will be remembered for Italy’s triumphant against the French in the final. Aussie soccer fans will be pointing out they were lucky to get there after their great escape against the Socceroos in the round of sixteen. With the Italians down to ten men and the match heading into extra time, Italian defender Fabio Grosso went down as if he had been taken out by a sniper in the crowd. The penalty in the last minute of extra time saw the Italians progress on their way to the crown.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JS5yLSynG2g
Rivaldo
Rivaldo was a footballing genius who won the Ballon d’Or in 1999 and was a global superstar for club side Barcelona. The Brazilian was a fierce competitor on the field who would do anything to win as the Turkey found out in the World Cup. Rivaldo went down clutching his face after a Turkish player kicked the ball into his leg during the World Cup Finals.
Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bryant’s efforts go to show that sports stars can make the right choices in entertainment. The former Los Angeles Lakers point-guard won an Oscar for his animated short film “Dear Basketball”, which is based on an article he penned to announce his retirement in 2015.